ANCHORAGE, AK — A 15-year-old boy was rescued after surviving on top of an overturned fishing boat in the frigid Bering Sea off Alaska, even as two other people aboard died. The U.S. Coast Guard said the teen was found Monday morning after the vessel had capsized near St. Lawrence Island.
Lt. Cmdr. Jonathon Resch, who helped spot the boy from the air, described the outcome as a miracle. The survivor had signs of hypothermia, and the Coast Guard said the two deceased boaters were later recovered from the water and taken to Nome along with the teen.
How the overdue skiff triggered the search
The 18-foot fishing vessel had left Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island on Friday and was expected back early Sunday, according to the Coast Guard. When it was reported overdue Sunday night, crews launched a search and rescue response.
Weather delayed the start of the aerial search until Monday, the Coast Guard said. That meant the survival window stretched through a cold Alaskan night in water Resch described as about 40 degrees, a situation he said most people do not survive.
The skiff was found about 4 miles from St. Lawrence Island, giving rescuers their first clear sign that someone might still be alive on the boat.
The moment rescuers spotted the teen on the hull
Resch said he saw the boy sitting atop the overturned skiff Monday morning. In an interview with ABC News, he said the rescue felt deeply emotional because the crew was relieved to find one survivor while also mourning the others who were still missing at that point.
He called the scene “nothing short of miraculous,” saying people rarely survive a boat rollover in such cold conditions, especially after spending a night exposed to the sea. The Coast Guard later confirmed that the teen had survived long enough for rescue crews to reach him.
Flairs, life rafts, and a passing vessel helped reach him
Once the aircrew located the teen, rescuers worked with the nearby fishing vessel Northwest Explorer to complete the pickup. The Coast Guard dropped flares and life rafts into the water to help mark the overturned skiff and improve visibility while the assisting vessel moved in.
Video of the rescue showed the boy kneeling on the hull before being pulled aboard with a heaving line and brought safely onto the Northwest Explorer. Resch called the handoff between aircraft and vessel “another miracle in itself,” reflecting how close the operation came to ending differently.
Hypothermia, recovery, and the loss felt by the community
The Coast Guard said the teen showed symptoms of hypothermia after the ordeal. He and the two deceased mariners were transported to Nome after the recovery operation was completed.
Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Arctic District, said in a statement that the Coast Guard’s thoughts were with the families, friends, and communities affected by the deaths. He also thanked the crews and partners who joined the response, including the motor vessel Northwest Explorer and federal, state, and village first responders.
Why rescuers called the outcome extraordinary
Search and rescue teams in the Arctic face severe weather, cold water, and large distances, all of which can make emergencies especially dangerous. In this case, the combination of an overdue report, a delayed but determined search, and the presence of a nearby fishing vessel gave the boy a chance he might not otherwise have had.
Resch said the rescue stood out not only because the teen was alive, but because so many parts had to come together at the right time. For the Coast Guard, the mission ended with one life saved and a reminder of how quickly a routine trip at sea can turn tragic in Alaska’s winter waters.
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